Chicken & Poultry
Jan 21, 2016

Coq au Vin Blanc

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
BY: Kylie Mazon-Chambers
5 from 6 votes
Crispy seared chicken thighs in a creamy white wine sauce with bacon, mushrooms and onions. Serve with plenty of extra bread for dipping!
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This French chicken stew using white wine is a spin on the classic dish, coq au vin, which translates to “cock with wine” however, chicken has long since become the staple protein in this entrée rather than rooster.

While traditional coq au vin is a dish of chicken braised with red wine, bacon lardons, mushrooms and pearl onions (considered a sister dish of boef bourguignon) I use white wine and add cream. It makes for a more summery yet hearty touch, a popular twist made in the Alsace region of France.

The hearty coq au vin blanc recipe is one of my favorites as well as one of my most requested dishes when cooking for friends and family and entertaining during any season. Searing the chicken in the same pan the sauce is made in adds so much flavor to this dish. I could absolutely eat an entire loaf of bread to myself just soaking up the extra sauce though you can also serve this dish over mashed potatoes.

Coq au Vin Blanc

Table of contents

diced onion mushrooms and bacon ingredients on cutting board with with white wine
seared crispy bone in skin onchicken thighs

Ingredients in Coq au Vin Blanc

Chicken Thighs

I use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs in this chicken with white wine based recipe. Chicken thighs are not only a cheaper cut, they stay much more tender than chicken breasts when cooked. The skin adds a lot of flavor to the sauce and looks much more impressive when served at dinner parties. I recommend patting the thighs dry with a paper towel before searing them so they get extra crispy.

Bacon

Cutting the bacon into small strips allows for quick cooking. Be sure to throughly crisp the bacon in the pan before it’s set aside. The rendered bacon fat is used as a flavorful and rich base for the sauce.

Onions

Cooking the onions are in the bacon fat and rendered chicken fat add great flavor. I use yellow onions which become sweet when cooked in the fat. Shallots can also be used in their place if needed.

Garlic

I always use fresh cloves of garlic, the pre-minced jars of garlic don’t taste the same. The garlic cloves are chopped and sautéed with the mushrooms.

Mushrooms

I prefer to slice the mushrooms just before cooking rather than buying pre-sliced mushrooms. Slicing them at home means you can control how thin and evenly they’re sliced. Baby bella or cremini mushrooms have an earthy flavor that works well in this dish. Substitute with mild-flavored white mushrooms if needed.

White Wine

I recommend using a dry white wine for coq au vin blanc since they won’t overpower the dish by making it too sweet. While I will use just about any white wine in a pinch I prefer cooking with Sauvignon blanc. A mentor of mine always reminded me to never cook with a wine I wouldn’t drink! Using a really cheap wine (or cooking wine) could ruin the flavors in a dish. In a pinch you can substitute for chicken broth though I prefer the flavor of the wine in this dish.

Heavy Cream

The cream adds a richness to the recipe though it can be omitted for a dairy free alternative. I’d recommend using the heavy cream rather than swapping for something else like half and half. 

Coq Au Vin Blanc with mushrooms and bacon in a creamy white wine sauce

How to make Coq au Vin Blanc

  1. Brown the chicken. Season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and heat through. Add the chicken to the pan, skin side down. Brown the chicken thighs until the skin is crisp and golden brown, about 6 minutes. Flip the chicken and continue to cook until browned, about an additional 4 minutes. Remove the browned chicken to a plate and set aside.
  2. Cook the onion and bacon. Return the pan to heat and add the onions and bacon. Cook over medium heat until the bacon fat renders and the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes.
  3. Add bacon. Add the garlic and allow to sauté until fragrant, about an additional minute. Remove the mixture to a bowl, leaving as much of the rendered fat in the pan.
  4. Cook mushrooms. Return the pan to medium heat, add the mushrooms to the pan and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and add the butter, cooking for an additional 2 minutes.
  5. Return cooked ingredients to pan. Once the mushrooms cook, add the onion and bacon mixture and browned chicken back to the pan.
  6. Simmer chicken in the wine. Add the wine and bay leaf. Lower the heat to medium-low and let simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.
  7. Finish with cream. Stir in the cream and allow to simmer for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently so the sauce does not reach a boil.
  8. Garnish with parsley. Remove the pan from the heat, discard the bay leaf, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with the parsley.
  9. Serve. To serve, divide the chicken thighs into shallow bowls with plenty of sauce ladled over the top. Serve with bread on the side for dipping in the extra sauce.
Coq Au Vin Blanc with mushrooms and bacon in a creamy white wine sauce with bread in bowls

Tips for this recipe

  • Be sure not to overcrowd the pan when cooking the chicken and the mushrooms. You want both to brown rather than steam so if needed cook the chicken in batches (same goes for the mushrooms).
  • If entertaining I love pairing this coq au vin blanc recipe with my table-side caesar salad with chili oil croutons and french onion soup bites as an appetizer.
  • If making this dish ahead of time, wait to add the cream until it’s reheated and store the sauce and chicken separately so the skin doesn’t get soggy.
Coq Au Vin Blanc with mushrooms and bacon in a creamy white wine sauce in bowls with bread and white wine

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this coq au vin blanc recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:

Coq au Vin Blanc

By Kylie Mazon-Chambers
5 from 6 votes
Rate this Recipe
Print Pin
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Serves 4
US Customary – Metric

Ingredients:

  • 4 skin-on bone-in chicken thighs, about 1 ½ pounds
  • Kosher salt, as needed
  • Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 5 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into ½” dice
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 cup sliced baby bella (crimini) mushrooms
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 ½ cups dry white wine
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ¾ cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 loaf of French bread, sliced into ½” thick slices, toasted, for serving

Instructions:

  • Season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and heat through. Add the chicken to the pan, skin side down. Brown the chicken thighs until the skin is crisp and golden brown, about 6 minutes. Flip the chicken and continue to cook until browned, about an additional 4 minutes. Remove the browned chicken to a plate and set aside.
  • Return the pan to heat and add the onions and bacon. Cook over medium heat until the bacon fat is rendered and the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and allow to sauté until fragrant, about an additional minute. Remove the mixture to a bowl, but leave as much of the rendered fat in the pan.
  • Return the pan to medium heat, add the mushrooms to the pan and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and add the butter, cooking for an additional 2 minutes.
  • Once the mushrooms are cook, add the onion and bacon mixture and browned chicken back to the pan.
  • Add the wine and bay leaf. Lower the heat to medium-low and let simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.
  • Stir in the cream and allow to simmer for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently so the sauce does not reach a boil.
  • Remove the pan from the heat, discard the bay leaf, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with the parsley.
  • To serve, divide the chicken thighs into shallow bowls with plenty of sauce ladled over the top. Serve with bread on the side for dipping in the extra sauce.

Nutrition:

Calories: 1081kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 70g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 31g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 200mg | Sodium: 1012mg | Potassium: 697mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1046IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 6mg
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5 from 6 votes

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Recipe Rating




  1. 5 stars

    Kylie, I doubled this recipe so I could enjoy some leftovers the next day at work. As you do. Except when your son goes back for seconds and thirds. I can’t blame him. So good. Thank you!

    Reply

    • I would recommend just omitting the bacon then – you might just need to add a little more oil for cooking the onions and mushrooms since you don’t have the bacon fat. Hope you enjoy!

      Reply

  7. Made this last night and paired it with the crispy kale halloumi salad. It was excellent! I think next time I’ll try harder to find some chicken thighs with skin and bone in. I was only able to find boneless skinless chicken thighs but the recipe still came out really good. Will make again!

    Reply

  8. 5 stars
    Made this last night and the sauce is absolutely delicious. I would probably use chicken breasts next time, only because my family is not a fan of thighs, but the entire meal was delicious.

    Reply